Estadio Azteca is about to do something no other stadium on Earth has done: host a third World Cup opening match. And when it does on June 11, the ceremony will include a tribute to the two men most responsible for turning the venue into football’s most hallowed ground, Pelé and Diego Maradona.
The opening match will pit co-host Mexico against South Africa, but the pregame spectacle might overshadow the kickoff itself. Shakira, Burna Boy, Tyla, J Balvin, and Alejandro Fernández are all set to perform, with Shakira and Burna Boy delivering the official anthem “Dai Dai.” Still, the emotional centerpiece will be the tribute to two players whose World Cup-winning moments at Azteca became the sport’s most enduring mythology.
Why Azteca is the only stadium that could pull this off
Pelé lifted the Jules Rimet Trophy there in 1970, completing what many consider the most beautiful World Cup campaign ever played. Then in 1986, Maradona delivered what might be the single greatest individual tournament in football history, capped by Argentina’s triumph on the same pitch. His “Hand of God” goal and his solo run against England, both scored at Azteca, remain the two most debated and celebrated goals in World Cup history.
